The new pastor at Saguaro Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will lead his first services Sunday morning.

The Rev. Kevin Prahar will preside over 8:15 a.m. worship services in the chapel followed by the new pastor, the Rev. Owen R. Chandler, who will lead 9 a.m. contemporary worship services and 11 a.m. traditional worship services, both in the sanctuary.

Chandler received his undergraduate degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., and spent a semester studying in Nicaragua. He received his master's of divinity degree from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University.

The reverend was an associate minister in Richmond, Ky., for three years before becoming senior minister at Richland Hills Christian Church in Fort Worth in 2009. He is also a battalion chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Chandler and his wife, Emily, have two daughters - 2-year-old Harper and 4-month-old Eleanor.

Saguaro Christian Church is at 8302 E. Broadway. Go to http://saguarochristian.org for more information.

Talk addresses Gospel accounts of Jesus

The relationship between New Testament Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and the question of historical authenticity will be the focus of Sunday's adult education program at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church.

Jerry Gill will continue to explore the content and meaning of the Christian Scriptures in the second in a six-session discussion series.

Although the four Gospels all tell the story of Jesus' life, they do so in different ways and do not always agree on what to include and how the story is to be told, Gill explained.

"Matthew seems to have been written primarily for Jewish readers, while Luke seems to be addressed to Gentiles who were then scattered throughout the Roman Empire. In addition, Mark not only appears to have been the first Gospel written, but probably was used by the authors of the other two so-called 'synoptic' Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke. John has a pattern and contains material all its own."

These differences, along with the fact that all of the Gospels were written several decades after Jesus' death, raise questions about their reliability with respect to what Jesus actually did and said, according to Gill.

He'll address these issues in the discussion, which is free and open to the public.

All the sessions are at 11 a.m. in the church Center, 4625 E. River Road, at North Swan Road. For more information, call the church office at 299-9063.

Faith Matters is designed to help attendees "understand God's work in the world, how we can serve our neighbors and bring peace and justice as it is possible in our time," according to the church.

This year's guest theologian is the Rev. Stephen A. Wold, a preacher and teacher known for engaging audiences through humor and a love for the church and congregational life. Former senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minn., he is the author of "Is God Still Here? The Comfort of the Cross for Those Who Suffer."

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel, with registration and coffee at 9:30 a.m. The cost, including lunch, is $15 and may be paid at www.tvlc.org (click on "Faith Matters").

Wold will be guest preacher at all three services that weekend: 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday. Everyone is welcome.

Bead donations needed for charities

Beading Divas to the Rescue have raised more than $60,000 for animal charities since 2009 by selling one $20 bracelet at a time - and they're looking for your help.

The group launched a bead-collection drive last month. Members depend on donated beads to continue making and selling bracelets. All sales go to a different animal charity every month.

To donate beads, go to a dropoff location - find one near you at http://greyhoundinjuryfund.wordpress.com/bead-drop-off-locations or call 955-9061. The bead drive ends March 8.

If you'd like to be entered into a drawing, include your name, phone number and the name of a 501(c)(3) animal charity. On March 16, a random drawing will be held at Silver Sea Jewelry, 330 N. Fourth Ave. The winning charity will receive the proceeds from the April bracelet sales.

To contribute a brief go to azstarnet.com/foothills online.

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